Power take-off



Nov. 30, 1954 w. H. NORDENSON 2,695,503

POWER TAKE-OFF Original Filed Nov. 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYSNov. 30, 1954 w. H. NORDENSON POWER TAKE-OFF 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled Nov. 14, 1946 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 2,695,503Patented Nov. 30, 1954 POWER TAKE-OFF Willard H. Nordenson, Dubuque,Iowa, assignor to Deere Manufacturing Co., a corporation of Iowa I 2Claims. (Cl. 64-1) The present invention relates generally to powertake- 01f mechanism and more particularly tomechanism of the typeapplicable to tractors for driving implements associated therewith. Theapplication is a continuation of my co-pending application, Serial No.709,691, filed November 14, 1946, now abandoned.

Certain implements, such as tractor-drawn planters, are required to bedriven at a comparatively low speed proportional to the speed ofmovement of the tractor and implement over the ground. Although manytractors have engine-driven power take-oil. shafts, the speed ofrotation of these shafts is comparatively high and must be geared downfor driving planting mechanism. Furthermore, the usual power take-off isconnected to the tractor transmission ahead of the change speed gears,whereby the speed of the power take-01f shaft is substantially constant,regardless of which gear connection is being used to propel the tractor.The principal object of the present invention, therefore, relates to theprovision of an improved power take-01f connection for supplying powerat a speed substantially proportional to the ground speed at all times.

Row crop tractors of the type provided with traction wheels which arelaterally adjustable on splined axles are frequently provided withsprockets which mount on the axles adjacent the wheels. However, in thecase of single row tractors of the type having final drive housingswhich depend from opposite ends of the axle housings, there are noexposed shafts on which to .mount a sprocket or the like. Therefore, itis a further object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved power take-off connection to the wheel of a tractor of the typelast mentioned above.

More specifically, a further object relates to the provision of anextension for one of the stub wheel axles of a tractor having dependingfinal drive housings, the extension being detachably mounted on theinward side of one of the final drive housings and having meansinterfitting with the end of the axle to cause the extension to rotatewith the axle. A sprocket, pulley, or the like, can then be fastened onthe extension to drive the implement.

A still further object has to do with an extension member which can besubstituted for, and will perform the additional function of, thebearing securing washer which retains the inner bearing race on theaxle.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art after a consideration of the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the drawings appended hereto inwhich:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of the rear axle housing and rearwheels of a tractor which carries an implement drive embodying thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of one of the depending final drivehousings taken generally along a line 2-2 in Figure 1, showing theimplement drive in place and drawn to enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a portion of the finaldrive housing of Figure 2, in which the implement drive has beenreplaced by a securing bolt and washer.

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the extension shaft.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inner end of the axle.1

The rear axle housing 5 of the tractor comprises a transmission casing 6to the sides of which are attached a pair of depending final drivehousings 7 and 8. The housings contain pinions 10 and gears 11, thepinions 10 being splined on driving axles 12 and the gears 11 beingsecured by tapered splines 9 on wheel axles 14 and 15 for driving reartraction wheels 13. The driving axles 12 are driven through aconventional transmission from the tractor engine and drive the wheels13 by means of the pinions 10 and gears 11.

The implement drive mechanism 20 comprises a removable extension shaft21 for the wheel axle 15 and extends inwardly from the depending housing8 to carry a sprocket 23 which drives a chain 24 to operate an implement(not shown).

The extension shaft 21 is in the form of a stub shaft having drilledrecesses 19 adapted to receive a sprocket-securing set screw and hasadjacent to its inner end a cylindrical machined surface 31 adapted toreceive a. conventional lubricant seal 32.

The seal 32 is conventionally retained by a cap 33. The retainer isfastened to the depending housing 8 by means of bolts 36.

The extension 21 is provided with a pair of radial lugs 40, 41projecting axially outwardly from one end thereof and adapted to seatwithin a diametrical. groove 43 in the end of the wheel axle 15, tocause the extension 21 to rotate with the axle 15. The extension 21 isdrilled axially at 46 and is fastened to the wheel axle 15 by means of acap screw 45 and lock washer 44, the cap screw 45 being threaded into atapped bore 48 in the end of the axle 15.

The wheel axle 15 rotates in a pair of conventional antifriction rollerbearings 60, 61 having inner races 62, 63, outer races 64, 65, androller sets 66, 67,. respectively. The inner. race 62 of the bearing 60abuts a collar having radial surfaces 71, 72 on opposite ends thereof,the collar 70 being disposed between the bearing 60 and the hub of thegear 11 with the surface 71 bearing against the inner race 62 of thebearing 60 and the surface 72 abutting a radial surface 75 on one sideof the hub of the gear 11.

The extension shaft 21 is formed with a radial shoulder 51 and a pilotportion 50 having a cylindrical surface, the shoulder 51 lying betweenthe machined surface 31 and the lugs 40, 41 and having a radial surface51a facing the lugs. When the extension 21 is in place, the shoulder 51bears on the inner race 62 of the bearing 60, thus exerting pressurethrough the inner race 62 and collar 70 to force the gear 11 tightly onthe tapered splines and to hold the inner race 62 of the bearing 60, thecollar 70, and the gear 11 in place on the axle 15. The cylindricalpilot portion 50 obtains some bearing support from the race 62.

An inward thrust is also imparted to the inner race 62 of the bearing60, through the roller set 66 and the outer race 64, from the retainer33 which when fastened in place by the bolts 36 bears against an edge ofthe outer race 64 to hold the latter in place. The outer race 64 isdrawn against the inner race 62 by the bolts 36, the pressure beingdetermined by means of conventional shims 81.

A spacing ring having radial surfaces 86, 87 on opposite ends thereofencircles the axle 15 between the gear 11 and the bearing 61, thesurface 86 of the ring 85 abutting against a radial surface 90 of thehub of the gear 11, the surface 90 being disposed on the opposite sideof the gear hub from the surface 75. The surface 87 of the ring 85 abutsthe inner race 63 of the bearing 61.

Inward pressure is imparted to the inner race 63 of the bearing 61,through the outer race 65 and roller set 67, from a lubricant sealretainer or bearing cap containing a lubricant seal 94 which is fastenedin place by the bolts 96. Adjustment is made by means of shims 101.Thus, by tightening the retainers 33, 95 against the opposite sides ofthe housing 8, the bearings 60, 61 can be pre-loaded.

When the implement drive above described is not being used (Figure 3),it may be replaced by a large washer 55 and a short cap screw 56, thepurpose of the washer being to hold the bearing 60 in place on the axle15.. The lubricant seal retainer 33 is replaced by a cap 57 which isheld in place by the same bolts 36.

When the operator desires to install the implement drive 20, it is onlynecessary for him to remove the bolts 36, thus removing the sealing cap57, and to remove the cap screw 56 and Washer 55. He then adds theextension 21, cap screw 45 and washer4'4 with the lugs-40 and- 41interfitting with the groove 43 and then installs the lubricant seal 32and retainer 33 by means of the bolts 36.

I claim:

1. In a tractor including a housing having a wallprovided with anopening and carrying an axlehavingan outer end portion in axial registerwith the opening and provided' with a radial end face having a radialslot therein, said endportion being provided further with an axial boreopening at said radial face, said axle end portion having a cylindricalouter surface, and a bearing in the wall in axialregister with theopening and having an inner circular surface directly contacting thecylindrical outer surface of the axle end portion for journalingsaidaxle end portion, said inner circular surface projecting axiallyoutwardly beyond the end face of the axle, the improvement residing in apower take-off attachment adapted for connection to the axle andhousing, comprising: a shaft positioned as an axialextension of the axleto project outwardly beyond the housing wall, said shaft having acylindrical inner endpilot portion received within thatportion of thebearing inner surface that projects axially outwardly beyond the radialend face of the axle, said inner end pilot portion having a radial endface abutting the radial end face of the axle and further including adriving lug projecting axially into the slot in said radial end face ofthe axle; thrust means including a shoulder on the shaft just axiallyoutwardly of the aforesaid cylindrical inner end pilot portion fordirectly engaging the bearing; said shaft further having an axial boretherethrough; securingmeans passed through the bore of the shaft andinto the axle bore and engaging the shaft and axle for securing saidshaft and axle together against relative axial displacement; said shaftlying wholly axially outwardly of the bearing except for the driving lugand the pilot'portion and'being free from radial contact with thebearing exi cept for the radial contact of said pilot portion with saidbearing; collar means encircling the shaft and having means for thefixed mounting thereof on the housing wall in register with the opening;and means on the collar for engaging and retaining the bearing againstaxial displacement outwardly relative to the housing wall.

2. A shaft coupling, comprising: a first shaft having one end portionprovided with a flat'radia-l' face having a recess let into said faceand disposed radially relative to. the shaft axis, said shaft furtherhaving an outer cylindrical surface and-an axial bore extending inwardlyfrom said face; a bearing surroundingsaid end portion and having aninner circular surface directly engaging the outer cylindrical surfaceof said first shaft, said bearing further having an outer radial surfaceslightly offset axially outwardly of said face; a second shaft coaxialwith the first shaft and having an inner end portion provided with aninner radial face disposed in end-to-end relation with the radial faceof the first shaft end portion, said second shaft end portionterminating at its radial face except for the provision of an axiallyprojecting, radially disposed drive lug received in the first shaftrecess, said second shaft having an annular shoulder engaged with theouter radial surface of the bearing, and said second shaft furtherhaving an axial bore therethrough from its outer to its inner end; andsecuring means passed through said second shaft bore and into the firstshaft bore and engaging both shafts for securing the shafts together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 826,944 Krieger July 24, 1906 1,629,949 Caft'arello May 24, 1927 1,820,017 Foulks Aug. 25, 1931 2,126,612 Buckwalter et al. Aug. 9,1938

